Understanding Color, Classical Music, and Romantic Music
Understanding Color
- The meanings we relate to color are cultural and therefore changeable.
- Colored lights are used to produce colors in objects which are not a source of light.
- Color blindness can be of different kinds.
- Tints are degradations of hue when white is added to it.
- Cones are the photosensitive cells in our retinas which react to the primary colored lights.
- Pigment colors are used to produce colors in objects which react to the primary colored light.
- Color only exists when there is light, is one of the elements of visual and audiovisual language, is used for expression of ideas and feelings, and is used to affect our behavior.
- Rods are the photosensitive cells that mostly perceive light.
- Primary pigment colors are the ones used in industrial printing processes.
- Lights: Green, Red, Blue.
- The human eye can only see electromagnetic waves that are between 380 and 720 nanometers.
- Who discovered that we can see an after-image of color? Arthur Schopenhauer.
- Alfred Hicketh represented color attributes with a cube.
- Rods are on the peripheral part and intermediate of the retina.
Achromatopsia
Achromatopsia is an inborn hereditary visual disorder. People with it can see white, black, and shades of grey. Cones are not working well, so they only regulate rod vision. They have poor visual acuity and their eyes are not able to adapt to intense light. Neil Harbisson has achromatopsia.
Classical Music
- Melody is composed by means of symmetric and balanced musical phrases. Melodies are easy to remember. Usually made of 2 phrases of the same length.
- Harmony becomes simple and clear, composers change chords less often.
- Rhythm is very defined and regular.
- Texture is mainly melody-dominated homophony where accompanying voices provide chordal support for the lead voice which assumes the role of the principal melody.
- There is a great range of dynamics and articulations. One of the features is the Sonata form.
- Composers: Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven.
Sonata Form
Sonata was used in many of the first movements of concertos and symphonies. It is composed of an exposition AB, a development A’B’, and a recapitulation AB.
Instrumental Forms
- Concerto: written for a main soloist and an orchestra, 3 movements (fast-slow-fast).
- Classical symphony: Full orchestra playing at the same time, 4 movements (fast-slow-minuet-fast).
- Sonata: 1 or 2 instruments and no orchestra. Written for piano, 4 movements (fast-slow-minuet-fast).
- String Quartet: 2 violins, viola, cello, 4 movements (fast-slow-minuet-fast).
Romantic Music
- Freedom in form and design: more intense personal expressions in which fantasy and imagination play an important part.
- Emphasis on lyrical, melodies are longer, dramatic, and emotional. Tempo rubato is common.
- Denser textures exploring a wider range of pitch, dynamics, and timbres.
- Expansion of the orchestra, the invention of the valve system made the brass section develop.
- Rich variety of types of pieces, music has links with other arts because composers are inspired by external sources.
- Great virtuosity in pianists and violinists.
The Lied
The Lied often centers upon pastoral or romantic love themes. 2 basic forms are ternary from ABA and strophic from AA’A”. Main composers are Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann.
Musicians
Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, or Brahms.
Program Music
Program music is a type of composition inspired by an external source and tries to invoke in the listener a specific experience.